Drug Court of New South Wales
| Drug Court of New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Established | 5 February 1999 |
| Jurisdiction | New South Wales, Australia |
| Location | Parramatta, Toronto, and Sydney CBD |
| Composition method | Vice-regal appointment on the Premier's nomination, following advice of the Attorney- General and Cabinet |
| Authorized by | Parliament of New South Wales via the Drug Court Act 1998 (NSW) |
| Decisions are appealed to | New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal |
| Number of positions | 5 |
| Website | drugcourt |
| Senior Judge, Drug Court of NSW | |
| Currently | Judge Roger Dive |
The Drug Court of New South Wales is an inferior court constituted as a court of record within the Australian court hierarchy with its jurisdiction limited to New South Wales, Australia. It is a specialist court that deals with criminal offences in which the defendant has an addiction to illicit drugs. The Court exercises both local and district court jurisdiction and has a similar status to the District Court of New South Wales.
Established pursuant to the Drug Court Act 1998 (NSW), the Court was the first drug court of its type in Australia.
The Court commenced on 5 February 1999. The court arose of the use of drug courts in the United States of America. It commenced operations in Sydney as a pilot program with the goal of establishing the question of whether a Drug Court is more effective and cost-effective in reducing crime among drug-dependent criminal offenders than the conventional sanctions. The first participant commenced on 8 February.
The Court is constituted by five Drug Court Judges, led by a Senior Judge, currently Judge Roger Diver. The Court operates from three locations in New South Wales: in Parramatta, Toronto, and Sydney CBD accepting referrals from the Local Court of New South Wales and the District Court. Matters referred to the Drug Court are then dealt with by that court, provided that the individual meets the eligibility criteria and is accepted onto the program. Matters for persons not accepted onto the program may be dealt with by the Drug Court but are usually referred back to the originating court for dispensation.
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